Interfitting lock for containers



, P 1931- H. H. HONIGBAUM 1,821,059

INTERF'ITTING LOCK FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 28. 1928 R/VEYS.

Patented Sept. 1 1 931 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES i HARRY H. HONIGBAUM,OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

,INTERFITTING LOCK ron CONTAINERS Application filed March 28, 1928.Serial No. 265,352.

ed to be used in connection with paper or cardboard receptacles whereinthe receptacle is made from a blank folded in any suitable.

mannerand relatively movable parts secured together by a lock of thecharacter under consideration, 7

Thus, theinvention primarily consists in a lock and the particular useto which the lock to suit conditions in the sevis put will vary eralarts.

Speaking generally, the lock of this invention embodies a tongueassociated with one movable part and the other movable part beingprovided with a slot. "The slot may be of different shapes as will behereinafter more fully explained, but its length is fixed andpredetermined. The tongue Wl'llCll' cooperates with the slot in thepreferred embodi-' ment oft-he invention is so shaped that the part onwhich the tongue is mounted must be tilted with respect to the otherpartin ord'e to introduce the tongue into the slot.

The lateral edges of the tongue are cut in such manner that'when suchpart is tilted as specified, the tongue may be .partially introduced andthe tilted part thereupon straightened with respect to the other part tocause the tongue to wholly enter the slot. As the tongue enters theslot, the partsare moved with relation to one another in a'lateraldirection to shift the tongue longitudinally of the slot. 1' p In thepreferred form of the invention, the

tongue is formed so that its width at the point into the slot and by areversal ofthese operations can be removed therefrom, but if it isattempted toremovethe tongue from the slot by a straight pull, themaximum width of the tongue will be presented to the relatively narrowslot, so that the tongue cannot be withdrawn and constitutes with theslot a dependable lock against inadvertent disengagement of the parts.

The present invention contemplates the use of a tongue whichlies flatand forms a sub stantial continuation of the part on which it is formed,but aside from this the invention also contemplates the formation of theslot in such manner as to bring about a bending of the tongue as it isintroduced into the slot and to form said tongue into a hookshapedlocking element as hereinafter more fully explaine Features of theinvention, other than those specified, will be apparent from thehereinafter detailed description and claims when read in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments ofthe invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understoodas illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a lock embodying the present invention associatedwith an ordinary pasteboard box and utilized in this connection tosecure the end flaps of the box in closed locked condition. I

Figures 2 and 3 show the manner of introducing the tongue into the slotin a construction such as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention, the modificationbeing more particularly with reference to the shape of the slot.

Figures 5 and 6 show further modified forms of the invention. a

In considering this invention, I wish'it understood that the presentlock is adapted for general uses in connection with any kind ofcontainer, but, for the purpose of detailed description, I have chosento show it as forming part of a pasteboard box. In this manner, theinvention may be more readily ex-i plained and easily understood. Thus,in

igure 1, 1 designates a pasteboard box p vided at the end shown withflaps 2 and 3, which flaps overlap one another and constitute therelatively movable parts which it is desired to secure together againstinadvertent release.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that the part 3 isprovided with a slot 4, which extends transversely of said part and isshown as straight. On the part2 is formed a tongue 5. This tongue isadapted to be passed thru the slot 4 to form the lock.

The lateral edges of the tongue, however, are

shaped as shown to provide a relatively deep re-entrant notch 6 at oneedge and a relatively shallow re-entrant notch 7 at the other edge.

These notches extend to the. base of' the,

tongue at said lateral edges. The lateral edges are moreover cut away asshown at '8 and-9. Thus when the tongue is introduced into-the slot 4 asshown in Figure 2 and the I 2 is now shifted slightly to the left, thetongue will be so disposed that a straight pull in a direction to removeit from the slot will bringsa-id tongue into the dot and dash lineposition shown in Figure 3, wherein it will be noted that the increasedwidth of the tongue below the apices of the reentral t portions 6" and 7will be presented to the slot in such manner as to preclude withdrawalof the tongue through the slot exceptbyareversal of the steps ofassembly hereinb-efore explained, Th a g m hown in F gis v y similar tothat exhibited in Figs, 2 and 3 except that the slot 4a whichcorresponds to theslot 4 is so shaped as to provide at one of its sidesa tab 11, so that when the tongue is positioned in the slot in themanner hereinbefore described, the tab 11 will overlie the inner face ofthe tongue and hold it in face ab ng re ie to the nn e of t pa V Inother words, it will hold the tongue ti against the bending inwardly ofthe contains er and will maintain all the parts substantially flat. InFigure 4, the tongue 11 is formed by curving a central portion of theslot downwardly as shown at 12. The arrangement may, however, bereversed so that the central portion of the slot is curved up: wardly toform an upwardly extending tongue 1 1a as illustrated in Figures 5 and r6,. With this arrangement, however, it will be apparent that instead ofmaintaining the eng e n substantial el n ment w th he Pa t LettersPatent is 5.

2, the positioning of the tab as shown in Fig ures 5 and 6 will causethe tongue to bend hoo'ked from the slot lbwith which it is as sociated.

The cutting away of the lateral edges of the tongue to providere-entrant portions for the purpose of producing a lock against theraight pu l as de r ed ney b a r e o n th ar g ment of Fie -v 5 an 6 h hit i t e selut ly e senti h re, s n e he tongue is bent back upon itselfto form a hook which, of itself, will preclude inadvertent disengagementfrom the slot. I

. Thus in Figure 5 the tongue is shown'as having straight lateraledgesalthoughthe reentrant edges shown in the previous figures of thedrawingsmay be utilized here also. I

The tongues shown in the drawings as having cut away lateral edges asspecified show these edges as having substantially straight line cuts,'In practice, however, these edges may be curved withoutdeparting fromthe invention. a. I call particular attention to the'fact in connectionwith the structures shown in Figures l to 4; that the distance maximumwidth of the tab designated w is materially greater than the length ofthe slot, while'the distance 9 from the apex of the reeentrant cut 6 tothe point 10 is substantially equal to the width of the length of theslot, This proportion of the parts makes it possible to introduce thetQI gT Q in the manner described, but when-the tongue is straightenedout as illustratedin Figure 3, it is impossible to removethe tongue by astraight pull In orderto remove it, it must be manipulated so astoreverse the assembling operations. The arrangement shown thereforeconstitutes a positive lock against inadvertent disengagement :of thetongue from the slot.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in itspreferred practical form and its use in conjunction'wi'th cardboardboxes, but I wish it understood" that the invention is adapted forgeneral application in' the arts generally and that itmaybe constructedof'rnaterial other than cardboard. The invention is therefore to, beunderstood as fully commensurate with the appended claims. 7

Having thus fully described the. invention, what I claim as new anddesire-to secure by 1. Aninterfittinglock for containers embodying tworelatively movable parts, one e hi as ther in e 101; hi h is ef ected toform a tab of appreciably less width than the length of the slot, andthe other of which is provided with a flat tongue, all parts of whichare of the same thickness and occupy the same plane, the slot extendingin the direction of the length of the tongue and the tongue being ofgreater overall length than the length of the slot and provided at itsopposite edges with re-entrant cut outs to permit the tongue to beintroduced into the slot by zigzag edgewise manipulation of the tonguerelative to the slot while all parts of the tongue remain unbentandcontinue to occupy the same plane.

3. An interfitting lock for containers embodying two relatively movableparts, one of which has therein a slot which is downwardly curved for adistance intermediate its ends to form a tab of appreciably less widththan the length of the slot, and the other of which is provided with afiat tongue, all parts of which are of the same thickness and occupy thesame plane, the slot extending in the direction of the length of thetongue and the tongue being of greater overall length than the length ofthe slot and provided at its opposite edges with re-entrant cuts outs topermit the tongue to be introduced into the slot by zigzag edgewisemanipulation of the tongue relative to the slot, one of said reentrantcut outs being deeper than the other to permit maximum difference indimension between the maximum length of the tongue and the length of theslot.

4. An interfitting lock for containers embodying two relatively movableparts, one of which is provided thereinwith a slot and the other ofwhich is provided with a flat tongue, all parts of which are of the samethickness and occupy the same plane, the slot extending in the directionof the length of the tongue and the tongue being of greater overalllength than the length of the slot and provided at its opposite lateraledges with re-entrant cut outs so shaped as to permit the tongue to beintroduced into the slot by zigzag edgewise manipulation of the tonguerelative to the slot without bending of any part of the tongue, andwhile all parts of the V tongue remain in the same plane, the edges ofboth of said re-entrant cut outs'extending laterally beyond the oppositeends of the slot, after the tongue has been fully inserted in flatcondition, to engage with the opposite ends of the slot and thus lockthe tongue against inadvertent disengagement from the slot.

5. An interfitting lock for containers embodying two relatively movableparts, one of which is provided therein with a slot and the other ofwhich is provided with a flat tongue, all parts of which are of the samethickness and occupy the same plane, the slot extending in the directionof the length of the tongue and the tongue being of greater overalllength than the length of the slot and provided at its opposite lateraledges with reentrant cut outs so shaped as to permit the tongue to beintroduced into the slot by zigzag edgewise manipulation of the tonguerelative to the slot without bending of any part of the tongue and whileall parts of the tongue remain in the same plane, one of said reentrantcut-outs being deeper than the other to permit maximum diiference indimension between the maximum length of the tongue and the length of theslot, and the edges of both of said re-entrant cut outs extendinglaterally beyond the opposite ends of the slot, after the tongue hasbeen fully inserted in flat condition, to engage with the opposite endsof the slot and thus lock the tongue algainst inadvertent disengagementfrom the s ot.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

HARRY H. HONIGBAUM.

